All posts tagged: Istanbul

“Photographers have a responsibility to tell these stories,” says Esa Ylijaasko of his project, November is a beginning, which shows a community of Syrian refugees living in Istanbul. Forced out by the civil war some 2.9 million Syrians have fled to Turkey, of whom about 800,000 have settled in the capital city, many in the formerly abandoned Süleymaniye neighbourhood. Knowing little Turkish and lacking the right documentation, they are left in a kind of limbo – unable to work legally, they rely on their meagre savings, cash-in-hand jobs and charity. “If they’re are caught by the police, they are sent to refugee camps,” explains Ylijaasko. “But as illegal workers, they earn below the minimum wage – around $250 to $300 USD monthly, which is just enough to cover their living expenses. Kind-hearted locals bring food and clothes, helping them to survive. But life stands still.” Originally from Finland, Ylijaasko started shooting the series back in 2013, after moving to Istanbul and hearing about the community. “I decided I’d try at least,” he says. “More people can help …

“MY FRIENDS!” writes Çağdaş Erdoğan from the Silivri Prison, Istanbul on 21 September, in a handwritten letter translated by a curator contact and circulated by his publisher Akina Books. “I salute all of you with my heart. Regardless of the illogical times we have been having, I hope you are well. Don’t worry about me. I’m doing well despite the physical and psychological negativities I experienced since the last two weeks.” Erdoğan was taken into custody at the start of September and officially arrested on 13 September, when he was put into pretrial arrest on accusations of membership to a terrorist organisation. In his letter, Erdoğan discusses the reason he was initially apprehended, and discusses some of the reasons he has been given for the terrorism charges.

Turkish photographer Çağdaş Erdoğan has been arrested in Istanbul according to his agency 140journos. The photographer, who was featured in the British Journal of Photography’s Ones to Watch list earlier this year, is thought to have been arrested whilst taking photographs in Istanbul’s central Kadikoy district

“I believe Turkey is photographed deficiently,” says Çağdaş Erdoğan. “The photographs we see of Turkey are propaganda for the nationalist movement, or they’re Orientalist images for the outer world since these are what they want to see.”Erdoğan, 24, is a Kurdish Turk born in a small town in the east of the country who has established himself as one of the leading young photojournalists in a newly authoritarian and conservative Turkey

Back in February 2015, BJP flagged up Cemre Yesil as a One to Watch – and now her series For Birds’ Sake, made with Maria Sturm, has won a Prix Levallois nomination. We revisit our article on this series and her hands-on approach to photography

“Istanbul is such a diverse place, so naturally the fashion world matches that,” says photojournalist Monique Jaques, who lives in the city. “I wanted to highlight the unique relationship women have with fashion – that you can dress in a conservative but expressive, colourful and modern way.” Jaques, whose work has been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Telegraph, began shooting the images for the series in 2011, during Istanbul’s Islamic Fashion Week. She photographed catwalk shows and behind-the-scenes activities for two days, but continues to add to the series, contacting fashion bloggers and magazines about photographing their events and shoots. “I really love working on this project because it challenges the conventional stereotypes that Islamic women can’t be fashionable,” says Jaques. “The women I photographed jokingly said, ‘This isn’t your mother’s Islam.’ There are many homegrown design houses in Istanbul, such as Armine and Tekbir, as well as Ala, a fashion magazine that translates modern trends for conservative ladies. There is a huge market for high-end conservative fashion in Turkey and a growing demand for it …